Over 80% of oversized vehicles running illegally in country

The fitness certificates of such vehicles registered in Haryana have expired and the state transport department stopped issuing such certificates since January 18.Dipak K Dash | TNN | February 01, 2016, 12:57 IST

NEW DELHI: A majority of 'oversized vehicles' in the country, particularly car and two-wheeler carriers, are running illegally and pose a threat to other road users as they have no insurance cover.

The fitness certificates of such vehicles registered in Haryana have expired and the state transport department stopped issuing such certificates since January 18 as vehicle operators have failed to reduce the length and width of such vehicles in accordance with the law.

Over 80% of over-sized vehicles in the country are registered in Haryana, in Gurgaon and Faridabad districts.

Without fitness certificates, the insurance cover of such vehicles cannot be renewed.

In January 2015, the Haryana government had given one-year extension for such vehicles to comply with the norms by reducing their length, width and height.

This deadline was fixed in consultation with the operators and SIAM, the apex body of automobile manufacturers.

"They have failed to meet the deadline. We have now started issuing notices to the vehicle carrier owners to follow the rules or face impounding of vehicles," a Haryana transport department official said.

Prices of most SUVs were cut between Rs 1.1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh following the implementation of GST, which subsumed over a dozen central and state levies like excise duty, service tax, and VAT from July 1.